u/Archonate_of_Archona

Argus Filch discovers that Squibs have a secret powers : they can bond with magical creatures/animals as familiars, sometimes command them, and gain specific abilities related to their familiar

Like other Squibs, he was subjected to compulsion charms and potions to never become aware of his power, and just think he's unpowered ; as well as magical blocks to dampen his abilities

After bonding with the King of Dragons, he basically has an army of dragons at his command, as well as extreme wealth (thanks to the dragons' treasures)

He also convinces the Hogwarts Elves to join him, as well as many Squibs (with their own Familiars and special abilities)

Challenge : include as many Indy!Harry clichés in the story, but for Argus Filch

For me, the concept of "family" (especially blood/birth family) just doesn't make any sense

Like, loving people, or caring much about people, or feeling responsability towards people, or socializing with people... "because they're family", as if it was a reason in itself. I just don't get it

From my POV, relatives are just random unchosen people you're "assigned" by the lottery of birth

So I have no reason to give them more importance, or to love them more, than I would for any other random person

In practice, I have no love or attachment for my relatives. Most of them are nice, and I have no negative feelings overall. I just don't think about them at all. In the past, I resented my mum because I was stuck living with her while having incompatible personnalities. Now that's the past, I have moved on and let go of the resentment, I'm mostly just indifferent. Like, if I lost contact with her, I would just never think about her.

There is one cousin that I actually like as a person, and see as a friend (though we live really far so little contact), but it's not because "family". Just because we match as people. I would have also liked her and possibly befriended her if we weren't cousins and have met in another context.

That's one of the reasons I'm CF. Because I know if I had a kid, I would NOT automatically love them, or care about them. I could only love my hypothetical kid if our personnalities matched enough. Otherwise, no. Except that obviously you don't get to choose your kids. So better just not procreate.

Other consequences is that I don't understand social rituals around family.

Like, why do people spend some of their weekends on "family reunions" when they could do their hobbies, see their actual friends ? Sometimes even at the expense of their passions (eg. "I can't come to [insert interesting event with friends], I have family reunion").

Or birthdays. I only celebrate my birthdays with my nerd (cosplay, roleplaying...) friends, because I know we ALL share the same passion, and can ALL enjoy being together. I won't invite random people that have nothing in common with each other (or with ME) just "because they're family".

Also weddings. If I ever marry my partner, there probably won't be a ceremony. And if there is, it will only include people we both genuinely like and share interests with (so we would actually enjoy their company, and they can easily get along with each other). Not people invited "because they're family".

What's the point ?

In fiction, I just can't enjoy most family stuff because (again) it doesn't make sense for me. The only exception is the FOUND family trope (if well done) but that's a completely different thing.

In roleplaying, I can't play characters with family arcs (or family ties with other characters).

I know that all that family stuff is a "fundamental human experience" for the vast majority of people, and yet I don't get it at all. Like, I can try to understand it intellectually, but I never experienced it for myself. I guess it's a bit like a congenital blind person trying to understand color.

Between being childfree and afamilial (plus other differences) I often feel like an alien from another planet. I also know I can't talk safely about it, except with my partner, because I fear most other people would either not understand or outright judge me as a monster.

Are there other CF afamilial people here ?